Episode 1.3

"Do you see anything interesting Colonel?" Carter's voice crackled over the intercom.

"If by interesting you mean a whole lot of nothing…" Shepherd responded.

"Yes, that's exactly what I meant."

"There are some mountains," Teyla replied more positively to Carter's questions. "And we see lots of green. Nearly eighty percent of this planet seems to be covered with forest."

"And the other twenty percent?"

"Mountains, valleys, and some water," Shepherd listed.

"Anything to indicate civilization?"

"Not as far as we can see."

"What's that?" Sophie pointed straight ahead.

"Good question…" Shepherd brought up the screen, which showed a map of the sky ahead of them. "Umm…yea…"

"Is that what I think it is?" Rodney spoke up.

"What's going on out there?"

"Just a second Colonel, we might have a problem here." Shepherd clicked off the radio and put all his attention into the intensely darkening sky.

"What is it, Colonel?" Sophie asked, leaning forward in her seat to see.

"A storm," Ronon muttered.

"A storm?" She repeated. "Is that bad?"

"It could be," Shepherd decided, "depending on how large it's going to get."

"And how quickly it moves towards us," Rodney contributed.

"Which, judging by these readings, is pretty damn quick." Shepherd pointed to the screen and the others crowded around.

"Can't we just fly through it?" Sophie asked.

"Not if we want to live," Rodney mumbled.

"Oh," she quieted and sat back in her seat.

"Atlantis, this is Shepherd," he returned to the radio. "We've got a bit of a situation here. There's a storm brewing, and I'm not sure how we're going to get through it."

"Can you out-fly it?"

"It's blocking our way back to the Stargate," Shepherd explained.

"What are you options?"

"I think our best option is to find somewhere to wait it out," Shepherd decided.

"Easier said than done," Rodney added. "This storm is going to be very big."

"How big?"

"Big enough to reach us pretty much anywhere on the planet."

"Which is why we're going to wait it out," Shepherd repeated. "But we're probably going to lose the radios."

"Are you sure this is the best decision, Colonel?"

"Not at all," Shepherd admitted. "We'll contact you when the storm's over. Shepherd out." He disconnected from the radio completely. "Okay, let's look for somewhere to park it." The HUD activated again, highlighting an area on the terrain, which seemed to be a low valley tucked in between a couple tall mountains. "Perfect. We're going there."

"Down in the valley? Are you sure that's the safest place for us to be?" Rodney analyzed the map carefully.

"I do not believe we have many options," Teyla mentioned. "It would be wise to be low, rather than on high ground."

"I agree," Shepherd confirmed. "And the sooner the better. This storm's coming a lot faster than I'd like."

The others gave Shepherd silence to concentrate as he flew the jumper lower, following the directions from the HUD. He located the valley easily and landed the jumper with only little difficulty.

"I don't like it," Ronon decided quickly.

"Yea, well, it doesn't make me especially comfortable either, but I think it's the best we're going to get." Shepherd shut down the jumper. "Hopefully it won't last too long. We'll be back to Atlantis soon enough."

"And in the meantime?" Ronon leaned on the back of Teyla's chair.

"We will make the best of the situation," Teyla told him.

"What if the storm isn't over quickly?" Rodney spoke up suddenly. "What if we're stuck here for hours, or days? We could run out of rations…we could run out of food!"

"I'm sure it won't be days," Shepherd reassured him. "Twenty-four hours at the most."

"Twenty-four hours is plenty of time to go hungry," Rodney insisted.

"No it's not," Shepherd argued. "Look, like Teyla said, we've just got to make the best of this situation and relax until it's all over."

"I agree," Sophie announced. "This doesn't have to be a negative situation." She glared at Rodney. "Let's think positively."

"Positively?" Rodney scoffed. "What is there to think positively about?"

"All right," Sophie stood from her seat to stretch, "enough of your pessimism, Mr. Pessimism."

"Clever," Rodney muttered.

Ronon was smirking.

"No, Sophie's right," Shepherd agreed. "We should make the most of this situation. How often do we all get to spend free time together without worrying about a mission?"

"Technically, we're still on a mission," Rodney pointed out. "And I wouldn't exactly call this my ideal use of free time."

"Really, this is good," Shepherd leaned back in his chair.

"Really?" Rodney frowned. "Explain to me how this is a good thing."

"It'll give us all a chance to get to know each other better."

"Get to know each other?" Rodney repeated. Ronon looked equally bored with the idea. "Shepherd, we've been working together for four years. I think we know each other fine."

Sophie stared down at her lap. She had a feeling she knew exactly why Shepherd thought they should get to know one another, and she didn't like being the cause.

"You think you know me well enough?" Shepherd smirked. "What's my favorite color?"

Rodney shrugged. "Why would I care about favorite colors?"

Ronon glanced at Sophie and then at Shepherd. He shrugged. "I like blue."

Shepherd grinned. "That's good. Thank you Ronon."

"Yea, it reminds me of wrath blood," he added.

"Oh…" Shepherd nodded, "okay, yea, I get that."

"So, what's yours Shepherd?" Sophie asked.

"Um, black."

"Black?" Rodney shook his head. "That's dismal."

"Why does everyone associate black with badness?"

"Not badness necessarily," Ronon clarified. "Just darkness."

"And you don't like darkness?"

Sophie smiled, "I do."

"Thank you," he smiled appreciatively. "And what's yours?"

"Umm, red."

"Red? Like blood?" Ronon asked.

"No, not like blood," Sophie clarified quickly. "Red is the color of love and passion."

"And blood," Ronon mumbled.

Sophie rolled her eyes and turned to Rodney. "What's yours?"

"I don't have a favorite color," he answered.

"Everyone has a favorite color."

He shook his head. "I don't like choosing favorites. It all seems rather irrelevant, doesn't it?"

"Yea, you're no fun," Sophie turned to Teyla. "Please have a better answer than Dr. McKay."

Teyla smiled. "I've always been fond of yellow. Like the warm rays of the sun…"

"See, now that's an answer," Sophie smiled. "That's beautiful Teyla."

"Yea, I wouldn't mind seeing those golden rays right about now…" Shepherd muttered as he leaned forward to look out the wide front window of the jumper. The rain was now pounding hard against the window, leaving splatters larger than Shepherd's hand. He turned away from the window abruptly. "Okay, next question…umm…favorite animals?"

"No, even better," Sophie interrupted, "if you were to be an animal, which would you be?"

"Why would I want to be an animal?" Ronon asked.

"It's not that you would want to be an animal necessarily, but it's about imagining yourself as one…" Sophie tried to explain.

He looked at her skeptically. "That doesn't make any sense."

"I agree with Ronon," Teyla spoke up. "I feel quite satisfied as a human. Why would I want to imagine myself as something else?"

"It's just a game," Shepherd tried to assist in the explanation.

"It's a weird game."

"Which animal you choose reflects your personality."

"For instance," Sophie took over, "Ronon would be a tiger." She laughed. "Or a lion. One of those fierce felines."

"Absolutely," Shepherd agreed.

Ronon frowned. "What's that?"

"It's sad," Sophie commented, "how little they know…"

"I know plenty," Ronon argued. "I just don't know about your weird earth stuff."

"Lions are a particularly ferocious animal with sharp claws and sharper teeth. They are insanely fast runners and destroy anything in their path."

"That sounds about right," he confirmed. "I think I'd get along well with these lions."

"They aren't tame animals, Ronon," Sophie told him.

"Neither am I."

"Rodney would be a peacock," Shepherd spoke up suddenly.

Rodney turned to him quickly and glared. "A peacock? Really?"

Sophie couldn't stop laughing.

"Yea, you know the way their feathers get all puffed up when they're trying to show off…" Shepherd grinned, but Rodney was still glaring.

"No, I must say I would imagine myself more as lone wolf…wise, strong, and confident on my own…" he smiled at the thought, but his seriousness only made Sophie and Shepherd laugh harder. Even Teyla and Ronon chuckled, though they weren't sure exactly what he meant.

"Based on your description, I would say John is more likely a lone wolf than Rodney…" Teyla suggested.

Sophie scrunched up her nose and analyzed Shepherd. "Not exactly. He's too gentle to be a wolf. Maybe more like a dog—a golden retriever."

Rodney laughed.

"A Golden Retriever?" Shepherd repeated.

"Yea, that probably didn't sound as good as I meant it to," Sophie realized. "I sort of meant it as a compliment…"

"Sort of?" Shepherd laughed. "That wasn't very reassuring."

Sophie blushed. She was still learning to think before speaking everything that popped into her head, realizing that tact was something that was expected in a mature adult. "I just meant that dogs are very faithful and determined and courageous…"

"I got it." He reached over and patted her knee. "Okay, what about the girls?" He motioned to Teyla and Sophie.

"Teyla would be something graceful," Ronon decided. "Something sleek and fast, with agility and skill…"

"Thank you," Teyla smiled. "I think I appreciate what you are saying."

"Like a deer," Rodney contributed.

Shepherd nodded. "Yes. A deer would be perfect."

Sophie smiled her consent. "I can picture her running through a forest, leaping and bounding without any hesitation."

"Bounding?" Teyla repeated. "I bound?"

"You could, I think, if you wanted to." She smiled. "It's a good thing. Deer are amazing creatures." She looked around the group. "What about me? What would I be?"

Everyone was silent for a moment as they contemplated Sophie, and finally Ronon spoke up. "There's an animal on my home planet called a Noruka…"

"Noruka?" Sophie scrunched up her nose as she tried to properly pronounce the word.

"Yea, the Noruka is a small furry animal that moves quickly and has an incurable curiosity. It's always sniffing around in things that are better left alone." He smirked. "But it's small, and kind of cute."

Sophie contemplated the list of qualifications he had given to her by way of the named animal and picked out the ones she had problems with. "Sniffing around in things? Are you suggesting that I put my nose where it doesn't belong?"

Ronon grinned, but didn't answer. Shepherd, however, was resisting the urge to laugh and failing miserably. One glance at Rodney and Teyla showed Sophie that they more or less agreed with Ronon's choice.

"So I'm a little curious," Sophie gave in, "but that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing."

"Not bad, no," Shepherd agreed, "but definitely noteworthy."

"All right fine, I'm a curious, furry Noruka," Sophie agreed.

"Next question," Shepherd decided.

"Pet peeves," Sophie decided. "What drives you crazy?"

Rodney looked more than just a little excited as he spoke: "Me first."

The others waited quietly for him to speak.

"I can't stand it when people don't respect personal space."

"Personal space?" Sophie followed up.

"Yes, you know, when people come too close, in my face or in my space…" he shuddered.

Ronon instantly moved over to where Rodney was sitting and leaned down until they were eye level. Ronon grinned as he moved in towards him and Rodney started fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Ronon, what are you doing?" He squirmed in his chair.

Sophie leaned across her chair towards Rodney who was sitting beside her and placed her hand on his arm, moving closer every moment.

"Stop it you two!" He leaned backwards in his chair, trying to move away from both Ronon and Sophie, but they continued towards him. "Stop it!"

Shepherd laughed and moved over to join the harassment. He stepped up on Ronon's other side and pressed in on Rodney.

"You guys, stop it!" He held up his hands, trying to push all three of them away.

Sophie was the first to surrender, laughing as she settled back in her chair.

"Maybe this wasn't the best idea," Rodney muttered as the others finally moved away from him and gave him back his space. "If we are all aware of one another's greatest annoyances, they can be more easily exploited."

"Exploited?" Shepherd laughed.

"I would like to think our friendships have moved beyond the point of where we would knowingly irritate one another," Teyla spoke up. She glanced at Ronon and Shepherd, lifting an eyebrow to make her point.

"Teyla's right," Shepherd held up his hands to halt Rodney's complaining. "This is supposed to be helping us get to know one another better so we can work better as a team, not give us ammunition against each other."

"Fine," Rodney turned his eyes on Shepherd. "So what's yours?"

"I don't have any pet peeves," Shepherd answered promptly. "Nothing bothers me."

"Liar," Rodney muttered.

"Come on John, this is to help us bond, remember," Teyla encouraged. "You must tell us."

Shepherd considered it for a moment and glanced around at the others a little hesitantly before answering. "I hate being woken up before my alarm goes off."

"You mean like when someone intentionally wakes you up, or you wake up for no good reason and then can't fall back asleep?" Sophie clarified.

"Either, but I guess mostly when I'm woken up by someone or something before it's time to get up."

"What if there is an emergency?" Teyla questioned. "Should you not be woken then?"

"Well, yea if there's an emergency, obviously…"

"But any other time, we should just let you sleep?"

"I'm just saying," he shrugged, "a guy deserves a few hours of beauty rest a night."

"No argument here," Rodney agreed. Ronon shrugged indifferently, but after only a couple weeks, Sophie had already learned how much he valued sleeping in.

"Ever since my son was born, I am having a difficult time remembering what it was like to have an uninterrupted night's sleep," Teyla mentioned. "He chooses the hours in which we may rest and those in which we must play."

Sophie cringed at the thought and spoke without thinking. "That must be awful."

Teyla frowned slightly at Sophie's tone, but then smiled gently. "Not really. My son has blessed me in so many ways. Staying up nights with him is hardly difficult when I remember how much he means to me. I would give my life for him."

"And you almost have," Shepherd reminded her.

Sophie felt a little guilty for speaking her mind without considering Teyla's feelings on the matter, but she smiled and hoped Teyla wouldn't hold it against her. "So what bothers you, Teyla?" she tried to change the subject quickly.

Teyla considered it for a moment and responded with her naturally calm smile, "I suppose I dislike it when people say they will be somewhere at a certain time and then do not show as promised."

"Note to self, never stand up Teyla…" Sophie said.

Teyla smiled and nodded. "Thank you Sophie, I would appreciate that, but I didn't say it to pressure any of you…" she glanced at Ronon.

Ronon avoided her gaze and quickly took over the conversation. "I don't like people eating my food," he announced.

Sophie couldn't stop herself from laughing.

"I'm serious," he insisted, "it's not right. It's my food. If you're hungry, you should get your own food."

"You eat my food all the time!" Rodney reminded him. "And just to point out, I don't particularly like people eating my food either."

"Food, really? That's your biggest pet peeve, Ronon?" Sophie laughed again.

"Trust me," Shepherd interrupted, "you do not want to come between this man and his food. I've almost been stabbed by a fork a few times."

"I told you, your hand got in the way." He glared at Shepherd.

Shepherd rolled his eyes and turned to Sophie. "How about you? Are you a stickler with your food too?"

"Can't say I am," she told them. "I think one of my biggest pet peeves is sweat."

"Sweat?" Ronon and Shepherd repeated in unison.

"Yep," she shrugged. "It drives me crazy when people have been working out or just out in the hot sun and they're all sweaty and they don't bother to wash off. It's like they don't realize how incredibly disgusting it is to be soaking wet with your own bodily fluid and odor. Seriously, just take a shower. Sweat is not attractive."

Rodney nodded. "I have to agree."

"Sweat just means you've been working hard," Shepherd argued.

"I don't have a problem with hard work, but I don't think it needs to be flaunted with unnecessary wetness," Sophie explained.

"I see." Shepherd pursed his lips and Sophie assumed he didn't actually understand where she was coming from. Ronon looked equally confused, but stayed quiet, as he was prone to do. "So, next question?"

Teyla raised a hand briefly. "What about the fondest memories we have from our childhoods?"

"Hunting," Ronon answered promptly.

"Big surprise," Rodney muttered.

"How old were you the first time you went hunting?" Sophie asked.

"Four," he answered.

"Four!"

He nodded. "My dad took me. He took me a lot when I was younger. We would stay out for a week at a time, hunting and cooking our kill. He would share his own battle stories with me and give me advice for when it was my own time…" He smiled fondly. "When I started my training I heard a lot of stories and advice from my instructors, but nothing ever influenced me the way my dad's stories did."

"It's nice that you have those memories," Sophie told him.

"How about you? Any good stories with your dad?" Ronon asked. "Did he ever take you hunting?"

"Yes actually," Sophie answered, "but those weren't always good stories."

"So what were your good stories?"

"My mother," she answered easily. "Almost all the memories I have of my mother are good ones."

"But not all of them?" Shepherd clarified.

"My mother died when I was very young, so I don't have as many memories of her as I would like," she explained. She closed her eyes to remember more clearly. "She used to bake these cookies. They weren't anything familiar—her own special recipe. Every time she made them she would add something new until they were filled with the most disgusting assortment of sweets: chocolate chips, butterscotch, marshmallows, peanut butter, caramel…" Sophie laughed. "But I loved them, and my dad loved them. She would make them when he was at work and when he came home, he would always be happy to see the cookies. We would eat them instead of dinner and we would all laugh and dance around the living room to one of her old Elvis records." She stopped talking suddenly. "That was a long time ago."

"Where's your dad now?" Ronon asked.

Sophie looked away from the others and almost whispered her response: "He's dead. My brother's all I have. He's really all I've ever had. He basically raised me."

"It must be difficult for you to be apart from him now," Teyla commented.

Sophie nodded, but didn't think she had the strength to answer. Thinking of her brother made her remember the regrettable terms on which they had parted. She hated to think that he might still be resenting her decision to leave. She couldn't imagine what he would think if he knew where she really was and the sort of things she was doing.

"All right, that is quite enough about me," she broke her silence suddenly. "Teyla, how about you?"

"Mine also involve my family," she decided. "My father spent much time with me when I was young, making sure I would be prepared to lead our people once he was no longer able. Though most of our time was devoted to my training, there were days when he would take me away from the village purely for enjoyment and not work. He would show me places where he liked to be by himself and tell me that he wanted to share them with me. Like those caves I showed you John," she turned to him and he nodded, remembering. "I always enjoyed my training, but I most enjoyed those days."

"Hmm," Rodney mused, "my dad and I had a much less adventurous childhood."

"Did you have good memories with him though?" Sophie asked.

"Yes," he nodded, "of course. He was always very engaged with my sister's and my life. My father was a very intelligent man and he was pleased to see that we took after him in that area."

"So then what was your best memory?"

"He used to make crosswords puzzles for us when we were younger. They would give us answers to riddles we would have to answer before we could have dessert or watch television."

"God that must have sucked," Shepherd frowned.

"Actually it was quite enjoyable."

"Whatever."

"What was yours?" Sophie asked him.

"Christmas morning was always a good time. It was the one time the family didn't argue, which was weird, because we fought about everything. Christmas was like magic though. Nothing bad could happen on Christmas."

"Christmas is magical," she agreed. "Especially when there's snow."

Shepherd nodded. He stood suddenly and gazed out the front window of the jumper. "You know, the rain hasn't really been letting up at all."

"It will eventually," Teyla told him. "It cannot continue forever."

"What if it does?" Ronon suggested.

"It won't," Shepherd grinned. "Teyla's right. It has to stop."

"But what if it doesn't?" Sophie had joined Shepherd at the window and had her nose nearly pressed up against the glass. "It's really coming down, and it's been at it for hours."

"I know."

"The river's starting to flood."

"If it comes up any higher it could create a problem for us."

"We still have a while before we need to worry about that though," Rodney decided.

"How long?" Sophie asked.

"If the storm keeps up at this pace…" Rodney squeezed his eyes shut and then sighed. "Thirty minutes."

"Thirty minutes?" Shepherd shook his head. "And what are the chances the rain will stop before that?"

Rodney didn't have to answer.

"Okay, so what does that mean?" Sophie asked. "What do we do?"

"First off, we don't panic," Shepherd told her. "We'll figure this out."

Sophie returned to her seat, but her back remained stiff and her fingers began tapping out a nervous concerto on her thigh.